Watch Net Controllers Colin GM4JPZ & Michael GM5AUG give a brief overview of the OARC Slow to Medium Morse Net

PLEASE NOTE - the frequency is no longer 7066kHz but 7016kHz. See information below. We are in the process of correcting the video.

Compared to a voice Net, a CW Net may seem a bit more formal or structured. CW Nets need a structure to ensure that all callers, however experienced or otherwise they are at CW, are able to enter in to proceedings - the Net is designed to give people a chance to operate CW even if they've never done it before, doing so in front of a sympathetic audience. Because of this, we have created this Net Format which we'll follow for our Slow to Medium Speed Nets on a Monday evening. Please be sure to either have a copy in front of you, or print it off, before calling in. After you've made your contact on the CW Net, why not join us for a SSB chat on/around 7.130MHz?

Details of the OARC S2MS Net are below:

• QTR (Time and Date) - Mondays at 1900 local time.
• QRG (Frequency) - see ROTA for Freq. Please listen carefully as, if the frequency is in use, the Net Control will send something like 'UP 3' or 'DOWN 2', which indicates how many kHz up or down callers should move to tune in to the Net.
• QRS/QRO (Speed) - Up to 15wpm, but the Net Controller will reply at the speed each Net member sends at.
• Net Controller - To begin with, either Colin GM4JPZ or Michael GM5AUG, using the OARC Club callsign MS0OUK.
  • Callsigns used if Net Control is in other parts of UK will be:- MX0OUK (England), MP0OUK (Guernsey), MT0OUK (Isle of Man), MH0OUK (Jersey), MN0OUK (Northern Ireland), MS0OUK (Scotland) or MC0OUK (Wales)
• Facilitator - Paul M0TZO on Discord (not Morse proficient, but can sort events, calendar, etc).

If you are proficient at Morse and would like to be an OARC Slow to Medium Speed CW Net Operator, please let Michael GM5AUG know on Discord.

1 - Net Control will call “QRL?” on the dot of 1900.

2 - If frequency is free, Net Control will call “CQ CQ CQ OARC CQ CQ CQ OARC DE MS0OUK PSE K”.

3 - Stations call and send their callsigns twice.

4 - If Net Control hears partial callsign, he will respond “ABC? KN”.

5 - Only the station whose callsign contains ABC will send their full callsign twice. All other callers please stand by.

6 - Net Control will reply to the caller, “M1ABC DE MS0OUK = GE ES WELCOME TO OARC S2MS NET = OP COLIN [or MIKE] ES QTH DUNDEE [or GLASGOW] = UR RST 599 = HW CPI? M1ABC DE MS0OUK AR KN”.

7 - The caller responds, “MS0OUK DE M1ABC GE COLIN [or MIKE] TNX FER RPT UR RST 599 OP [Name twice] ES QTH [Location twice] HW CPI? MS0OUK DE M1ABC AR KN”.

8 - Net Control replies, “M1ABC DE MS0OUK = RR DR OM [Name] TNX FER QSO = 73 ES HPE CU AGN =“, before calling “QRZ?”

9 - Move back to stage 3.

10 - If, after calling “QRZ?”, Net Control hears no other callers, he will send “MS0OUK QRT AR SK”.

NOTE - After you have made your QSO with the Net Controller, why not join us on 7.130 +/- for a Post-CW SSB chat?

Signal Reports - we have written 599 in the example above to make life easier for those who are just starting out. However, if the Net Controller is not 599 to you, and you want to give him an accurate RST, please do so!

Morse Code uses lots of abbreviations to get messages across in the speediest way possible. To help you, both on the Net, and in other CW Contacts, GM4JPZ and GM5AUG have created this Glossary of frequently used abbreviations and Q-codes. If you spot any we've missed, please add them!

In Amateur Radio we make use of many Q-codes. Most of these Q codes can be used as a question or a statement.

There are lots more Q codes that are not covered in this short glossary. Further information can be found by clicking here.

Morse